Government

State health officials are working to quiet concerns that a bill would allow for the quarantine of people with HIV.

The bill is aimed at protecting emergency responders, making it easier to test an accident victim's blood to test for HIV or other infectious diseases. But, some were concerned that the bill removed long standing protections for persons with HIV/AIDS, and might open the door for them to be quarantined.

Negotiators from the Kansas House and Senate report little progress in working out differences in plans for further cuts in personal income taxes.

A bill has been signed into Kansas law that abolishes the statute of limitations for prosecuting rape cases. 

Kansas was among 10 states that required rape cases to be prosecuted within five years.

The new law also allows for prosecution of a sexually violent crime within 10 years if the victim is at least 18 years old. For younger victims, prosecution would begin within one year of the date the suspect is identified through DNA testing, or within 10 years of the victim's 18th birthday, whichever is later.

Kansas officials are blaming a shortfall of nearly $57 million in state tax collections in March on delays in federal tax deadlines forced by congressional wrangling on fiscal issues.

The Department of Revenue reported Friday that the state collected almost $364 million in taxes last month. It had expected to take in more than $420 million.

The department noted that collections for the fiscal year that started in July are slightly ahead of the state's projection that it would collect $4.24 billion through March.